Alive Labs install trial wall in Hackney Wick

4th April 2024

Alive Labs installed its first external prototype of the Alive Cladding System prominently at the canal in the heart of East London. In collaboration with UCL, and placed on the outer wall of The Loop, Hackney Wick’s Circularity Hub, the prototype operates as part of the SHIFT Future Industries Demonstrator. AL was part of the first cohort of this government-funded innovation programme for SMEs tackling environmental problems.

Working with leading academics from UCL, AL is developing a unique algorithmic software for the monitoring and assessment of plant health. The programme plots the health data against environmental conditions, helping to establish a deeper understanding of the plant-urban interaction. This technology culminates in a validation piece that helps to realise the fundamental principles behind the AL vision for a symbiotic city, and also paves the way for further innovation in AL’s truly green cladding.

The cladding installation occupies the external facade of The Loop in tandem with a monumental wall-art piece, created by SRJP. This collaboration was a nod to Hackney Wick’s vibrant artistic scene, whislt helping to visulise the potential for a fully installed system. The green cladding system brings a focal point, an aesthetic crowning jewel to the sweeping artwork, which in return expands dramatically on the Alive Cladding System.

The validation piece will be an ongoing study, with the aim of trialing the system throughout the calendar year. This will allow the team to make observations across multiple moss species, whilst testing a variety of system design features, a process of calibration and optimisation that will enable future design decisions to be well-informed via the empirical data collected.